Fuselage and tail configurations for hydrogen-powered aircraft
FASTER-H2
Artist's impression of a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft with hydrogen tanks at the rear of the fuselage.
Credit:
AIRBUS
Hydrogen as a fuel could bring aviation a step closer to net-zero emissions. But what structural criteria must an aircraft meet to be powered by this environmentally friendly but highly flammable propulsion and fuel technology? In particular, the rear fuselage, the tail structure, the cabin and the cargo hold would have to be significantly modified. This is where the EU-funded FASTER-H2 project comes in. The project partners from research and industry know that the rear fuselage, tail unit structure, cabin and cargo hold of a short- and medium-haul hydrogen-powered aircraft would have to change significantly due to the size of the tank. A highly efficient distribution system under realistic operating conditions and safety aspects, as well as sustainable materials for the fuselage and tail are also essential for this propulsion technology to achieve overall carbon neutrality in the aviation sector. Overall, these efforts will contribute to the sustainability and decarbonisation of the aviation industry.
In FASTER-H2, the project participants are exploring advanced manufacturing technologies for the integrated fuselage and tail unit. The aim is to reduce production waste and increase material and energy utilisation. The integrated fuselage concept is expected to be selected by the end of the first project phase in 2025. By the end of the Clean Aviation programme in 2030, the commissioning of the first hydrogen-powered short- and medium-haul aircraft in 2035 is to be ensured.
Scientists at the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology and the DLR Institute of Aeroelasticity are working on the development and application of an advanced, highly accurate, gradient-based MDO approach to reduce the drag and structural weight of the rear fuselage and tail. The relevant manoeuvre load cases are taken into account. The researchers are also investigating how machine learning techniques can be used to define a small but meaningful design space. This enables both the implementation of complex optimisations and the comparison of different optimisation approaches.
Project
FASTER-H2 - Fuselage, Rear Fuselage and Empennage with Cabin and Cargo Architecture Solution Validation and Technologies for H2 Integration
Term
1/2023 - 3/2026
Partners
DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology (Lead)
DLR Institute of Aeroelasticity (Lead)
DLR Institute of Structures and Design
DLR Institute of Architectures in Aeronautics
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.
Technische Universität Braunschweig
IRT Saint Exupéry Technological Research Institute
ONERA
NLR - Netherlands Aerospace Centre
CIRA
Airbus Operations GmbH
u.a.
Funding
FASTER-H2 is supported by the European Commission's Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme Clean Aviation under Grant 101101978.
